Car light

ABSTRACT

A car light is equipped with a supplementary light for helping alert people to the car, which supplementary light includes several light sources, plane lenses, and a circular lighting body; the light sources are secured on a rear cover of the car light; the plane lenses are disposed over the light sources; the circular lighting body is fitted on a circular trench formed around the car light, and has spaced condensing bumps on an outer side thereof; the plane lenses face respective ones of light passages formed on the trench; when the light sources are powered, light will be first made to travel through the light passages, and onto the circular lighting body by means of the plane lenses, and the circular lighting body will refract the light so as to shine with a complete circle-shaped light thereon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a circular supplementary light of a carlight for helping alert people to the car, more particularly one, whichcan shine with complete circle-shaped light thereon and brightly, andwhich is easy to maintain.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

A car can be more easily seen if supplementary lighting elements arefitted near to or around the ordinary lights to help alert people to thecar. Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, an ordinary light 44 of a car isprovided with a supplementary lighting element, which includes a supportmember 41, and a circular lighting body 42. The support member 41 has acircular trench 411, a through hole 412 on the trench 411, and severalfitting portions 413 projecting in an opposite direction of the circulartrench 411. The support member 41 is secured around the ordinary light44 with the fitting portions 413 engaging an outer side of the ordinarylight 44. The circular lighting body 42 includes a housing, which ismade by means of injection molding, two light emitting diodes 43, whichare, before the injection molding process of the housing, disposed inthe mold so as to be securely hidden in the housing, and directed toopposite directions. A cord 431 is connected to the light emittingdiodes 43. The circular lighting body 42 is securely fitted in thecircular trench 411 of the support member 41 with the cord 431 beingpassed through the through hole 412.

Thus, when the light emitting diodes 43 are powered, the circularlighting body 42 will shine, thus helping alert people to the car.

However, the supplementary lighting element is found to have thefollowing disadvantages:

-   1. Because the light emitting diodes 43 are buried in the housing    right in the injection molding process of the housing, they can't be    separated from the housing, and the whole circular lighting body 42    has to be replaced with a new one when any of the light emitting    diodes 43 is faulty. In other words, the supplementary lighting    element isn't economical to use.-   2. The light emitting diodes 43 are buried in the housing, and can    only emit light from outward sides thereof, incapable of shining    themselves. Consequently, the circular lighting body 42 will shine    with a broken circle-shaped light thereon instead of a complete    circle-shaped one.-   3. Because the light emitting diodes 43 are buried in the housing,    directed to opposite directions, and can only emit light from    outward sides thereof, the area between opposing ends thereof can't    shine either, and the circular lighting body 42 can't shine with a    complete circle-shaped light.-   4. The light emitting diodes 43 are visible therefore they will    spoil the look of the whole car light.

SUMMARY

It is a main object of the present invention to provide a supplementarylighting element of an ordinary car light to overcome the abovedisadvantages.

The supplementary lighting element includes several light sources, planelenses, and a circular lighting body. The light sources are secured on arear cover of the ordinary car light, and the plane lenses arepositioned over respective ones of the light sources. The circularlighting body is fitted on a circular trench formed around the carlight, and has spaced condensing bumps on an outer side thereof. Theplane lenses face respective ones of light passages on the trench. Thus,when the light sources are powered, light will be first made to travelthrough the passages on the circular trench, and onto the circularlighting body by means of the plane lenses, and the circular lightingbody will refract the light so as to shine with a complete circle-shapedlight thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood by referring to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the car light according to thepresent invention,

FIG. 2 is a partial exploded perspective view of the car light accordingto the present invention,

FIG. 3 is another embodiment of the circular lighting body in thepresent invention,

FIG. 4 is a third embodiment of the circular lighting body,

FIG. 5 is a vertical section of the car light of the present invention,

FIG. 6 is a partial vertical section of the car light of the presentinvention,

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the present car light,

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the conventional car lightdescribed in Background, and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the conventional car light.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of a car lightincludes a holding member 1, a rear cover 13, a front cover 15, and asupplementary lighting element for helping alert people to the car,which has several plane lenses 14, several circular lighting bodies 2,and several light sources 3.

The holding member 1 is formed with several holding holes 11 for holdingconventional lamps (not numbered) therein, and circular holding trenches12 around respective ones of front ends of the lamp holding holes 11.Furthermore, the holding member 1 has several connecting holes 121 onthe holding trenches 12, and several light passages 122, which areformed on the holding trenches 12, and face front.

The rear cover 13 is formed with several fitting holes 131 on a frontside thereof, which will face respective ones of the light passages 122when the rear cover 13 is joined to the holding member 1, and which areprovided for holding the light sources 3 therein such that light cantravel outside from the light sources 3; the light sources 3 can belight emitting diodes or bulbs. Each of the plane lenses 14 is formedwith a transparent face portion 141, which has a corrugated rear side,and a vent hole 142 on a lateral portion thereof.

Each of the circular lighting bodies 2 has several equidistantly spacedcondensing bumps 22 over a front side thereof, and several spacedfitting portions 121, which project rearwards, and are shaped in such away as to be capable of engaging the holding member 1 after they arepassed into the connecting holes 121. In addition, referring to FIGS. 3and 4, there are various designs of circular lighting bodies 2, andthere will be circular lights with different visual effects shining oncircular lighting bodies 2 of different designs.

In assembling the present car light, referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, firstthe circular lighting bodies 2 are securely fitted on respective ones ofthe circular holding trenches 12 of the holding member 1 with thefitting portions 21 being passed into the connecting holes 121, andengaging the holding member 1. Next, the light sources 3 are securelyfitted in respective ones of the fitting holes 131 of the rear cover 13,and the plane lenses 14 are securely fitted over the fitting holes 131as well as the light sources 3. And finally, the rear and the frontcovers 13, and 15 are securely joined to the holding member 1.

Thus, when the light sources 3 are powered, light will be first made totravel through the light passages 122 of the holding member 1, and ontothe circular lighting bodies 2 by means of the transparent face portions141 of the plane lenses 14, which circular lighting bodies 2 willrefract the light such that each of them shine with a completecircle-shaped light thereon. And finally, the condensing bumps 22 willmake the complete circular lights brighter such that the completecircular lights can help alert people to the car effectively. Inaddition, heat produced by the power sources 3 will escape more easilyowing to the vent holes 142 of the plane lenses 14.

From the above description, it can be easily understood that the carlight of the present invention has advantages as followings:

-   1. The light sources 3 are detachably fitted in the fitting holes    131 of the rear cover 13 therefore when if any of the light sources    3 is faulty, it can be replaced individually, and the rear cover 13    doesn't have to be replaced together with the light sources 3.    Consequently, the car light is easier, and costs less to maintain as    compared with the prior art.-   2. The circular lighting bodies 2 will shine with complete circular    lights instead of broken circle-shaped lights of the prior art    because of the plane lenses 14, and the circular lighting bodies 2,    which are used for guiding, and refracting light respectively.-   3. The light sources 3 are arranged on the rear cover 13, and hidden    behind the holding member 1, and the front cover 15 therefore they    can show to spoil the look of the whole car light.-   4. The circular lighting bodies 2 are directly fitted around the    lamp holding holes 11 of the holding member 1 therefore their use    won't be limited to certain types of cars, and are more flexible.-   5. The circular lighting bodies 2 are formed of different designs,    on which circular lights with different visual effects will shine,    therefore the circular lighting bodies 2 can alert people to the car    effectively.-   6. The present invention can be used on front lights as well as rear    lights of a car such that safety of driving is increased.

1. An improvement on a car light, comprising a holding member formedwith a plurality of holding holes for holding lamps therein; the holdingmember having circular holding trenches around respective ones of frontends of the lamp holding holes; the holding member having a plurality ofconnecting holes on the circular holding trenches; the holding memberhaving a plurality of spaced light passages formed on the circularholding trenches and facing front; a rear cover secured on a rear sideof the holding member; the rear cover having a plurality of fittingholes on a front side thereof, which face respective ones of the lightpassages of the holding member; and a supplementary lighting memberincluding: (1) a plurality of light sources detachably held inrespective ones of the fitting holes of the rear cover; (2) a pluralityof plane lenses disposed over the light sources as well as the fittingholes of the rear cover; each of the plane lenses including atransparent face portion facing a corresponding light passage; and (3) aplurality of circular lighting bodies held on respective ones of thecircular holding trenches of the holding member; each of the circularlighting bodies having a plurality of fitting portions projectingrearwards; the fitting portions being passed into respective ones of theconnecting holes of the holding member, and engaged with the holdingmember to secure the circular lighting bodies to the holding member;whereby each of the circular lighting bodies will shine with a completecircle-shaped light thereon when the light sources are powered.
 2. Thecar light as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the circular lightingbodies has a plurality of equidistantly spaced condensing bumps formedover a front side thereof for condensing light that travels through it.3. The car light as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transparent faceportions of the plane lenses have corrugated rear sides facingrespective ones of the light sources.
 4. The car light as claimed inclaim 1, wherein each of the plane lenses has a vent hole thereon forallowing heat to escape through it.